{"id":7740,"date":"2026-02-20T09:44:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T14:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/?post_type=resource&#038;p=7740"},"modified":"2026-02-26T09:56:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T14:56:55","slug":"spotlight-on-practice-unwritten-standards","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/resources\/spotlight-on-practice-unwritten-standards\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlight on Practice: Unwritten Standards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>All regulated health professionals follow standards of practice.\u00a0The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/competencies-for-occupational-therapists-in-canada-2021-final-en-web-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada<\/a> guide the practice of occupational therapists in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada. The College has issued written <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/COTO-Standards-of-Practice-2023.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Standards of Practice<\/a> for occupational therapists that define the standards reasonably expected of an ordinary, competent occupational therapist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not possible for the College to write a standard for every aspect of occupational therapy practice.&nbsp;Some&nbsp;standards&nbsp;are unwritten. These&nbsp;unwritten standards are part of the expectations for professional conduct. Unwritten standards can be based on publications from the College&nbsp;and&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;about&nbsp;specific&nbsp;areas of practice. They can be&nbsp;based on evidence from experts, what is taught in occupational therapy university programs,&nbsp;and found in academic literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section-block has-fade-in-up  align wp-block-acf-content-section\" id=\"section-what-are-some-unwritten-standards-of-practice-for-occupational-therapists\">\n    <div class=\"section-header \">\n        <h2>What are some unwritten standards of practice for occupational therapists? <\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"content-section\" aria-hidden=\"false\">\n        <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>Unwritten&nbsp;standards of&nbsp;practice&nbsp;encompass&nbsp;a variety of&nbsp;professional&nbsp;behaviours, decisions, and communications that&nbsp;demonstrate&nbsp;sound judgment and an awareness of context.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Examples might include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Giving credit to others and&nbsp;acknowledging with humility&nbsp;when you&nbsp;are&nbsp;learning.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recognizing that just because something is &#8220;allowed&#8221;&nbsp;doesn&#8217;t&nbsp;always mean it is appropriate&nbsp;or&nbsp;\u201cright\u201d given the context.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section-block has-fade-in-up  align wp-block-acf-content-section\" id=\"section-why-it-matters\">\n    <div class=\"section-header \">\n        <h2>Why it matters?<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"content-section\" aria-hidden=\"false\">\n        <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>Professional&nbsp;conduct&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;public trust and avoiding unintentional harm or miscommunication&nbsp;with clients \u2013&nbsp;is&nbsp;central to what is&nbsp;reasonably expected of ordinary, competent occupational therapists. Often rooted in&nbsp;core&nbsp;values such as empathy, respect, and discretion,&nbsp;professional conduct is fundamentally about&nbsp;always acting in the client\u2019s best interests.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Examples of&nbsp;professional conduct&nbsp;include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Arriving on time for appointments and work shifts&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Knocking before entering a client\u2019s hospital room&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Asking permission before touching or moving items in a client\u2019s home&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Responding promptly to questions or concerns&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Offering a genuine apology when a mistake is made&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Communicating with clients using professional tone and language&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Avoiding negative discussions about the workplace, particularly where clients might overhear&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section-block has-fade-in-up  align wp-block-acf-content-section\" id=\"section-implications-for-practice\">\n    <div class=\"section-header \">\n        <h2>Implications for Practice <\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"content-section\" aria-hidden=\"false\">\n        <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>Written standards&nbsp;cannot&nbsp;anticipate&nbsp;every practice scenario or potential risk. When the standards do not fully address a situation, occupational therapists are expected to use their professional judgment to bridge those gaps.&nbsp;For example,&nbsp;occupational therapists are expected to \u201cCo-create with clients a shared understanding of scope of services, expectations, and priorities.\u201d&nbsp;(Competencies for&nbsp;Occupational Therapists in Canada, A1.1) and \u201cSelect assessment methods and tools that are most suitable for clients and that consider the scope of services, using current theories, relevant evidence, and best-practice approaches.\u201d&nbsp;(Standard for Assessment and Intervention, 2.2).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To&nbsp;do this,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Occupational&nbsp;therapists need&nbsp;to think about&nbsp;the parts&nbsp;that are not written out,&nbsp;like the client\u2019s unique needs,&nbsp;possible risks&nbsp;to the client, and workplace&nbsp;or organizational requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Occupational therapists may also&nbsp;face challenges like heavy workloads, emotional exhaustion, and other job pressures, which&nbsp;do&nbsp;not&nbsp;come&nbsp;with clear guidelines&nbsp;on how to navigate.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether there is a written standard or not,&nbsp;continue to&nbsp;use client\u2011centered communication strategies, seek guidance from peers, review practice situations, and apply&nbsp;an ethical lens to&nbsp;your&nbsp;decision\u2011making.&nbsp;Reflecting on how your decisions and actions may be perceived can help ensure they align with professional expectations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider asking yourself,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How might a colleague or employer perceive this decision, action,&nbsp;behaviour, or comment?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Would a group of occupational therapy peers view it as professionally&nbsp;appropriate?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How would it be interpreted by the public if it were featured on the news?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All&nbsp;occupational therapists&nbsp;are expected&nbsp;to speak to their practice&nbsp;and provide&nbsp;a rationale for their decision-making and actions&nbsp;that&nbsp;consider&nbsp;both the written&nbsp;and unwritten standards for&nbsp;the profession.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additional&nbsp;resources such as guidance documents, case&nbsp;studies&nbsp;and Q&amp;As&nbsp;are available&nbsp;to support occupational&nbsp;therapists in&nbsp;following the standards.&nbsp;For&nbsp;questions, please contact our&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/registrants\/practice-support\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Practice Resource Service<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;at 1-800-890-6570 ext. 240 or&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:practice@coto.org\">practice@coto.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"content-section-block has-fade-in-up  align wp-block-acf-content-section\" id=\"section-other-college-resources\">\n    <div class=\"section-header \">\n        <h2>Other College resources<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"content-section\" aria-hidden=\"false\">\n        <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/resources\/competencies-for-occupational-therapists-in-canada\/\" data-type=\"resource\" data-id=\"1279\">Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada, 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/resources\/decision-making-framework\/\" data-type=\"resource\" data-id=\"1375\">Decision-Making Framework, 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/registrants\/practice-standards-guidance\/#section-standards-of-practice\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/registrants\/practice-standards-guidance\/#section-standards-of-practice\">Standards of Practice<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/resources\/standard-for-record-keeping-2023\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:59px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All regulated health professionals follow standards of practice.\u00a0The Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada guide the practice of occupational therapists in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada. The College has issued written Standards of Practice for occupational therapists that define the standards reasonably expected of an ordinary, competent occupational therapist. It\u2019s not possible for the College [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":""},"resource-audience":[17],"resource-topic":[31],"resource-type":[46],"class_list":["post-7740","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry","resource-audience-registrants","resource-topic-consent","resource-type-spotlight-on-practice"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/7740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/7740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8030,"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/7740\/revisions\/8030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource-audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-audience?post=7740"},{"taxonomy":"resource-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-topic?post=7740"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coto.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=7740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}